Automatically controlled transmission



2 sheetS-sheet 1 Filed Feb. 2, 1951 lll Howard/L F /ynn Mm Gttomeg Sept. 14, 1954 H. A. FLYNN AUTOMATICALLY CONTROLLED TRANSMISSION 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Feb. 2, 1951 Inventor Howard A. F/y/m' Patented Sept. 14, 1954 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE AUTOMATICALLY CONTROLLED TRANSMISSION Il Claims.

This invention relates to a motor vehicle transmission and constitutes an improvement over the construction disclosed in my copending application led July 30, 1949 and having Ser. No. 107,807, now Patent No. 2,634,627.

One object of the invention is to provide a transmission with mechanism which automatically varies the gear ratio between the motor and the drive shaft of a vehicle according to the power required to propel the vehicle and the speed at which the vehicle is moving.

Another object of the invention is to provide controlling mechanism which is automatic in operation and shifts the transmission to neutral when the vehicle is nearly stopped, and moves the transmission into low as the speed of the engine increases from an idling speed, and then shifts the transmission from low to high as the speed of the vehicle is increased and the drive shaft reaches a predetermined number of revolutions per minute.

Another object of the invention is to provide mechanism which automatically effects a change from gear drive to fluid drive between the engine and the transmission while changing from idle to low, and then to high speed, vand then returns to a gear drive after shifting has been performed.

Another object of the invention is to provide a transmission wherein clutches are operated by levers which are actuated by piston rods projecting from cylinders to which fluid under pressure is delivered through pipes from pumps controlled by valves which are moved to adjusted positions by governors in response to variations in the speed at which the shafts, with which the governors are associated, rotate.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved arrangement of gears and friction clutches which are very compact and efcient in operation.

Another object of the invention is to provide a transmission which is easy to operate and very sturdy and not liable to get out of order.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings wherein:

Figure 1 is a view showing the transmission and controls partially in top plan and partially in section.

Figure 2 is a diagrammatic view showing valves in section and circuit wires and switching for controlling flow of current through the circuit.

This improved transmission has a casing I which is of suitable size and formation and into its front end extends the crank shaft 2 of an engine, the forward portion 3 of the casing being enlarged to accommodate the fly wheel 4. The fly wheel has secured to its rear face a housing 5 which projects rearwardly therefrom and within the housing is a fluid transmission 6 preferably of the fluid coupling type and consisting of a rotary impeller l and a propeller 8. The impeller 'l has a hub 9 which is secured against the rear wall of the housing and is of tubular formation and constitutes a bearing for a main shaft I0 having its front end journaled in a bearing E i at the center of the fly wheel 4. The propeller 3 is firmly secured upon the shaft I0 by a key i2 and when the propeller is turned by action of oil in the housing, having motion impacted to it by the impeller 1, the shaft i0 will be turned. Back of the housing is a friction clutch i3 having its front disk I4 rigidly secured to the rear wall of the housing 5 and the hub l5 of its rear disk IB splined to the shaft l0, as

shown at l1, so that while the rear disk turns with the shaft it may be slid along the shaft into and out of gripping contact with the rigidly mounted front disk I4. When the rear disk is in gripping engagement with the frontdisk the shaft iii is rotated at the same speed as the crank shaft 2 and when the rear disk is moved rearwardly to its inoperative position shaft l0 is free from the housingl and rotary motion is hydraulically imparted to it at reduced speed by the oil in the casing 5 which has whirling motion imparted to it by the impeller 'l and acts upon the propeller 8.

An auxiliary shaft I8 is disposed rearwardly of the main shaft le in axial alignment therewith and rotatably mounted through bearings Il) and 20 which are of spider formation and mounted in the casing l in longitudinally spaced relation to each other. The front end portion of the auxiliary shaft fits into the neck 2l of the rear section 22 of a gear housing 23 which is rotatably mounted about a sleeve 23', the sleeve being splined to the shaft I0 so that the sleeve may be slid longitudinally along the shaft and the housing 23 moved towards and away from the companion housing section 22. The housing 23 is surrounded by a ring 24 rigidly mounted in casing l, and the annular iiange 25 of the housing 23 has its inner and outer side faces covered by friction rings 26 and 21, the ring or facing 21 having gripping engagement with a confronting face 28 of the ring 24 to hold the housing 23 stationary when the housing is shifted forwardly. The ring or facing 2B has gripping engagement with the face 29' of the annular ange 29 of the housing section 22 so that the two housing sections turn together when the housing 23 is shifted rearwardly. Movement of the housing 23 along the shaft I is accomplished by a lever 30 pivoted to a bracket SI carried by the ring 24 and formed with a forked end 32 engaged in a groove 33 formed about the sleeve 23. A similar lever 34 pivoted to a bracket 35 has its forked end 36 engaged in the annular groove 31 of the hub I5 for shifting the disk i5 along shaft I0 towards and away from disk I4.

Gearing is enclosed in the gear housing and includes a carrier plate or disk 38 which is keyed to the reduced rear end portion 39 of shaft i0 and is formed with openings through which pass short shafts 40 spaced from each other circumferentially of the plate. The shafts or stems 40 carry gears or pinions 4I and 42 disposed in front of and back of the plate, the pinions 4I meshing with teeth of the internal gear 43 formed internally of the annular wall of the housing 23 and the pinions 4'2 meshing with the teeth of internal gear 44 formed internally of the annular wall of the housing section 22. The pinions and the companion internal gears of the housing sections thus form an epicyclic train of gearing by means of which rotary motion may be transmitted from the main shaft I 0 to the auxiliary shaft I 8. Rotation of the carrier plate 38 with shaft I0 will cause pinions 4I and 42 to rotate within the gear housing and since the pinions 4I are larger than pinions 42 the gear housing 23 Will creep or rotate and no motion will be imparted to shaft I3. This is the idling position. When the housing 23 is shifted forwardly and held stationary by brake surfaces 21 and 28 the rotation of carrier plate 38 within the housing 23 will drive the pinions and the differential between pinions 4I and 42 will cause rear section 22 to rotate at a reduced speed in a forward direction to supply a low gear ratio between shaft I0 and l shaft I8. When the housing 23 is shifted into gripping engagement with the clutch surface 29 the two housing sections turn together and shaft I8 will be rotated in a forward direction at direct drive, or high gear.

Rotary motion is transmitted from shaft I8 to the transmission shaft 45 by a planetary gearing 46 having a casing 41 mounted upon the transmission shaft 45. This casing is formed internally with gear teeth 48 which mesh with pinions 49 rotatably carried by a large gear 50 journaled about a sleeve 5I which is splined upon the rear portion of shaft I8 and which sleeve carries a sun gear 52 meshing with the pinions 49. The sleeve 5I is moved longitudinally along shaft I8 by a lever 53 pivoted at 54 in the casing I and having its forked upper end engaged in a groove 55 formed about the sleeve. When the sleeve is shifted forwardly and a side face of the gear 59 brought into engagement with the stationary brake ring 56, the gear 52 and the pinions 49 turn the casing 41 and shaft 45 in a reversed direction at slow speed. This is the reversing position. When gear 50 is shifted rearwardly, its gear teeth 50' mesh with internal gear 48 and lock the unit for transmitting rotary motion.

In order to shift the movable elements there has been provided hydraulic mechanism including a rotary pump 51 having a drive shaft 58 which is rotatably mounted through the lower portion of the pump casing and carries a gear 59 meshing with a gear 60 surrounding shaft I0. Oil is forced from the pump through a tube SI in which is interposed a valve 62. This valve has an operating handle 53 Which projects upwardly therefrom and is operatively engaged with a governor (i4 which is rotatably mounted horizontally and provided with a gear G5 meshing with the gear 60 so that during rotation of shaft I0 the governor is operated to open and close the valve in accordance with a predetermined speed at which the shaft I0 is rotating. A relief valve B3 is mounted in tube 5I in front of valve 6'2. A branch tube 61 leads from tube 5I to the rear end portion of a cylinder 98 in which operates a piston 69 having its rod 10 projecting forwardly from the cylinder and connected with the lower end of the lever 34, the bracket 35 for pivotally mounting said lever being carried by the cylinder. When oil is forced into the cylinder through tubes 6I and 61 the piston is forced forwardly and rocks the lever 34 in a direction to move the clutch disk I5 away from the stationary clutch disk or ring I4 and disengage the clutch, and in order to return the piston to its normal position and close the clutch, there has been provided a spring 1I coiled about the piston rod between the piston and the front end of cylinder 0S. Flow of oil through tube 61 is controlled by a solenoid valve 12 which is normally closed, as shown in Figure 2, and is actuated by its solenoid 13, A small bleeder port 14 is provided at the rear end of cylinder 68 for return of oil from the cylinder to the reservoir within the case I, and as the oil escapes slowly through this bleeder port the clutch *.6 will be let in slowly. The rear end of tube 6I is connected with a valve 15 and forwardly of this valve 15 is a solenoid valve 15 having its solenoid 11 connected to solenoid 13 by a wire 18. The lever 19 of valve 15 is connected with a governor which is disposed vertically and rotated from the shaft I8. Tubes SI and 8I connect upper and lower portions of the valve 15 with front and rear ends of a cylinder 82 in which operates a piston 83 yieldably held in a normal position intermediate the length of the cylinder by front and rear springs 84 and 85 and having its rod 8B extending forwardly out of the cylinder and connected with the lower end of lever 30 so that this lever will be operated by movement of piston 83, and the gear housing 23 will be shifted forwardly into gripping engagement with the brake ring 24 and the transmission operated at low speed. A tube 81 connects the bottom of valve 10 with the tube 8i rearwardly of the cylinder 82 and a second tube 38 extends from valve 16 to the front end of a cylinder 89 in which operates a piston 90. .A bleeder port 9| is provided at the front end of the cylinder. This piston is engaged by a spring 9 I in the rear portion of the cylinder and its rod 92 extends forwardly from the cylinder and is connected with the lower end of lever 53 so that the lever may be tilted about its pivot 54 to shift sleeve 5I along shaft I8 and move gear 50 into and out of engagement with the brake ring 56 and internal gear 48. A tube 93 connects the valve 15 with a pressure operated switch 04 having an escape port 95 at its front side. Below this escape port is a diaphragm 96 which is depressible from its normal position shown in Figure 2 so that the contact 91 carried by and depending from the diaphragm may be moved to a closed position in which it has bridging engagement with stationary contacts 98 and 99. A wire |00 grounded at IOI is secured to contact 99 and to contact 98 is secured a wire |02 connected at |03 to a wire |04 leading from the solenoid 13 of valve 12 and having its other end connected with the contact |05 of the vacuum switch |66. This switch has a casing Il in which is mounted a diaphragm |08 actuated by a partial vacuum created by suction through tube IGS which is connected with the manifold of the engine. The diaphragm ISB carries a contact bar I Iii shifted by movement of the diaphragm into and out of position to bridge space between contact m5 and a companion contact III to which a ground wire IIZ is attached. A reverse lever switch IIB has spaced contacts IIII, |I5 and IIS, contact I|4 being connected with the solenoid Il of valve 'I6 by a wire II'I, while contact II5 is connected with wire |92 by a wire IIB, and contact IIel has attached to it a ground wire I I9. The movable contact I2!) serves to connect the stationary contacts IM, ||5 and H6 when moved into bridging engagement therewith. Current is obtained from a battery I2! having attached to one side a wire i2?. leading to wire 'I8 intermediate the length thereof, the other side of the battery being grounded by a wire |23, It will thus be seen that movement of the pistons in the cylinders is controlled by valves which are actuated by governors and by switches.

When the engine is idling uid is pumped from pump 5l through tube @I and the relief valve 66 into valve 62 where it is exhausted through a port 62a into the casing I which serves as a reservoir and with which the supply tube 51a of the pump communicates. speeded up the speed at which shaft lil turns increases and turns governor Ell at an increased speed and actuates valve 62 to the opposite position to cause the fluid to flow rearwardly from valve 62 and through valve 'I6 and into valve l5. With the governor 8D, which is driven from shaft I8 turning slowly or not at all, valve 'l5 directs the fluid through tube [il into the forward portions of cylinder 82. This causes piston 83 to be shifted rearwardly and the lever 3b shifts the gear housing 23 forwardly to a lo-w gear position. Simultaneously with this movement exhaust flow of iiuid from cylinder 82 passes through tube 8| into valve 'I5 and through tube 93 into the pressure operated switch 94. The built up pressure above the diaphragm 9S y/moves contact 9'! into engagement with the spaced contacts 98 and 99 and closes a circuit from the battery I2I through the ground connections and the bridged contacts of the switch and the wires lila and IM to the solenoid I3 of valve l2 and back to the battery through wires 18 and |22.

Referring to Figure 1 it will be seen that actuation of valve 'i2 to open the same will allow fluid under pressure toflow through tube 6l from pump 5l into the rear portions of cylinder 68 and its piston t9 will be shifted forwardly to rock the lever 3d and move the clutch disk it rearwardly away from clutch disk I4 and thereby disengage clutch Is. Therefore while the piston of cylinder 82 is moving rearwardly pressure admitted into switch 94 will cause valve 'I2 to open, which will admit fluid into cylinder 63 to shift its piston forwardly and effect disengagement of the clutch I3 where it remains as long as piston B3 is moving. When this piston 83 reaches the end of its stroke and ceases its rearward movement the fiuid under pressure will leak through the bleed port 95 of the switch s4 and pressure reduced so that the switch will return to its normally opened position. When the switch opens, valve l2 will return to its normally closed position and the piston 6l of cylinder 558 will return by spring pressure within the cylinder as fluid is allowed to escape through the bleeder port When the engine is 6 'I4 of the cylinder 68. Therefore the clutch will be let in slowly.

As rotation of the shaft I8 increases the governor 8B actuates valve 'I5 and causes fluid to enter the rear end of the cylinder 82 through pipe 8| and the piston 83 is moved forwardly. During forward movement of the piston the lever 3|) is tilted in a direction to shift the gear housing 23 rearwardly into frictional gripping engagement with the housing section 22 and cause direct drive from shaft IU to shaft I8. Fluid forced from the front end of cylinder 32 passes through tube 8|' into the upper portion of valve 'I5 and through tube 93 into switch 94 and depresses the diaphragm to close the switch and effect opening of the clutch I3 to return to its operative position after the shifting is completed.

It is desirable to shift the transmission into fluid drive when a car is pulling hard, such as passing another vehicle or going up a steep hill. This is accomplished by means of the vacuum switch Iil which is operated from the vacuum in the manifold. When the accelerator of the engine is depressed excessively and opens the butterfly valve to admit air, the vacuum is relieved and the switch |05 closed by movement of the contact IIB into engagement with contacts It and III. The circuit through the solenoid 'I3 of valve l2 is thus closed and the valve opened and the clutch I3 is disengaged and held open until the vacuum is again built up sufciently to open the vacuum switch |06. Fluid pressure will then bleed from cylinder 68 and cause the clutch to close.

When it is desired to reverse the vehicle the reverse lever is moved and actuates the switch I I 3 shown in Figure 2. This switch has the three contacts IIli, IIE and IIB and actuates the valve 'I2 as well as the valve 16. When valve 'I2 is actuated and moved to the position indicated by dotted lines inFig. 2 fluid under pressure entering the valve through tube 6I flows through the tubes 38 and 81 leading respectively to the reversing cylinder 89 and the tube 8|. The piston of cylinder 89 is thus moved to rock lever 53 and move sleeve 5I to a reversing position as the piston 83 in cylinder 82 is moved in a direction to effect a low gear ratio. In order to prevent the gear housing 23 from moving to high or direct drive by the position of valve I6 fluid is prevented from entering valve l5 and thus cannot actuate the piston of cylinder 82 in a forwardly moving direction. The switch IIS also actuates valve 'I2 to maintain the transmission in duid connection at all times when in reverse. When shifted from reverse, valve 'I6 returns to its normal position and directs fluid into valve 'I5 and the spring 9| in cylinder 89 forces the piston 9|] forwardly as fluid escapes from the front end 0f the cylinder through the bleed port 9|. Since the apertures of the bleed ports are very small and the fluid is delivered in large quantities, the various mechanisms will be operated until the supply is shut off and the fluid escapes through the bleed ports and the mechanisms return to their normal positions.

A second oil pump |24 which is driven from shaft I8 by the same gear which drives the governor discharges into the extension 6I of tube 6I, thus enabling the transmission to be operated when it is necessary to push the motor vehicle in order to start it.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim is:

1. A variable speed power transmission comprising a main shaft, and a drive shaft; a clutch having its front section turning with the drive shaft and its rear section turning with the main shaft and having one of its elements longitudinally shiftable into and out of an operative position in gripping engagement with the front secn tion, a uid power transmission uniting said drive and main shaft when the clutch is disengaged; an auxiliary shaft, an epicyclic train of gearing operably connecting the main shaft and the auxiliary shaft and including a gear housing having a forward housing Section and keyed to be slidable along said main shaft; the rear housing section being adapted to turn said auxiliary shaft; said forward and rear sections each being provided with an internal ring gear; a disk carried by and turning with the rear end of the main shaft within the gear housing; ganged pinions rotatably carried by said disk and disposed at opposite sides thereof and meshing with said ring gears; the pinions meshing with one ring gear being smaller than the pinions meshing with the other ring gear; a stationary brake ring surrounding the forward section of the gear housing; said forward section having gripping engagement with the brake ring when shifted forwardly by means of said sleeve, and having gripping engagement with the rear housing section when shifted rearwardly, and individual fluid actuated operating means associated with said clutch and said sleeve for individually moving the clutch sections and the gear housing to adjusted positions.

2. A variable speed power transmission comprising a main shaft; an auxiliary shaft; an epicyclic train of gearing operably connecting the main shaft and the auxiliary shaft and including gear housing having forward and rear sections; a sleeve rotatably carrying the forward housing section and keyed to be slidaole along said main shaft; the rear housing section being adapted to turn said auxiliary shaft; said forward and rear sections each being provided With an internal ring gear; a disk carried by and turning with the rear end of the main shaft within the gear housing; ganged pinions rotatably carried by said disk and disposed at opposite sides thereof and meshing with said ring gears; the pinions meshing with one ring gear being smaller than the pinions meshing with the other ring gear; a stationary brake ring surrounding the forward section of the gear housing; said forward section having gripping engagement with the brake ring when shifted forwardly by means of said sleeve, and having gripping engagement with the rear housing section when shifted rearwardly, and fluid actuated operating means associated with said sleeve and adapted to move the forward section of the gear housing to adjusted positions.

3. The invention as defined in claim 2 wherein the fluid actuated operating means comprises an operating lever adapted for moving the sleeve; a iiuid operated servo-motor operably connected to said lever for forward and rearward movement; a fluid pump driven by rotation of said main shaft; a uid conduit for carrying the fluid under pressure from said pump to said motor; a distributing valve in said conduit; a speed sensitive means for actuating said valve and driven by said auxiliary shaft, whereby said forward housing section is shifted at predetermined revolutions per minute of said auxiliary shaft.

4. The invention as dened in claim 3 wherein a second distributing valve is interposed in said conduit between the pump and first named valve and adapted to be moved into and out of a discharging position; and speed sensitive means driven by said main shaft and operably connected to said second named valve for directing uid to said first named valve when a predetermined revolutions per minute of said main shaft is reached.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,413,292 Rauscher Apr. 18, 1922 1,689,245 Klimek Oct. 30, 1928 1,885,156 Thomas Nov. 1,1932 2,005,167 Roeder June 18, 1935 2,050,550 Yingling Aug. 11, 1936 2,085,668 Mueller June 29, 1937 2,144,270 Palmgren Jan. 17, 1939 2,251,625 Hale Aug. 5, 1941 2,404,623 Dodge July 23, 1946 2,408,951 Pollard Oct. 8, 1946 2,422,155 Wemp June 10,1947 2,505,171 Churchill Apr. 25, 1950 2,555,702 Railton June 5, 1951 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 71,353 Norway Dec. 9, 1946 

